At center I dont really think Emmertons a prospect, hes a full time NHLer now. I moved Aubry and Cayer up above Macek because I dont think theres a chance that Macek makes it. Aubry's a big physical guy and good defensively, projects as a bottom 6er. Cayer is showing when healthy he can put up points in the NCAA this season. Hes huge and by all reports is one, if not our best skating prospect. Hes also mean as hell. I think hes going to end up playing on the wings 4th line as an enforcer, but one who can actually skate a fairly regular shift and lay guys out left and right
Left wing I agree
Right wing I moved Callahan ahead of Coetzee for similar reasons as Cayer above Macek. Coetzee is a top 6er or nothing and Callahan is perfect for the 4th line even. Callahan is one of our most likely, if not the most likely to crack the NHL. I'm also starting to not be so high on Pulkkinen and leaning towards Jurco maybe better but not enough to switch their spots yet
On D smith is by far number one and I really like Jensen too. He put up similar numbers to Smith in his rookie year that smith did as a sophomore. He also likes to throw his weight aronud and go for Kronwall like hits. Has a few fights t his name as well.
Ouelette and Sproul are tough for me. Sproul has higher upside but I see Ouellette as much more likely to make the NHL. He can skate, play physical, fight, put up a decent amount of points. I think he could e a good number 4. Sproul could be a sick offensive guy, but his defense just isnt there and he has a long ways to go to make the NHL as a defender.
Overall I didnt disagree on much, seems like you rank more on potential whereas once you get past the first few prospects at eah position I base it on likelihood of cracking the NHL. Fighters, physical players and defensive studs are the more likely in this area so I give them higher rankings than the pure skill guys without quite enough skill
Thanks for the input. I kept a few guys on there because they're still considered prospect by HF standards... just a habit I guess.
I agree with Aubry, reworking the list I'd put him over Macek. I think Macek's a bit of a mystery, kind of like Quine. Both guys strike me as hit or miss. As far as Cayer goes, I'm not sold on him. He struggled for three years at Clarkson, so I kind of feel iffy about him. I know he's got a mean streak, as you mention, but I just don't know if he'll be able to contribute at the NHL level.
I can see your point on Coetzee, I just want to see more out of Callahan. I might be a little caught up with Coetzee's solid start to the season. I agree with Callahan being the prospect more likely to succeed in the NHL. I just wonder about Coetzee's potential. He can go down that Francis Pare road, or maybe he has a higher ceiling. As far as Pulkkinen goes, I'm just really high on his skill level and hockey IQ. He's struggled a bit lately, but we'll see. I like Jurco, but I wonder how much of it is flash. I want to see how his skill translates in a higher league.
I'm glad someone else sees Jensen's potential. I just think he's very underrated/under the radar. He's progressed so well. I think it's easy to look over some college players (I have in the past), but he seems like the real deal to me. He's very solid all around. As far as Sproul vs. Ouellet, I'm on Sproul's side for now. He's got a lot of poise to his game, and he really is working on his defensive game. He's a +15 on an average Soo Greyhounds team, and he just seems like he's going to blossom into a good two-way defender to me.
Ouellet, I think has a lot of offensive potential. I've watched a few Armada games this year and to me the physical stuff seems a bit out of his element. I think the slapped the "C" on his chest and he felt the pressure. Some of the penalties he takes seems stupid to me... as if he's just trying too hard. His -11 is ugly, but not the reason I'd rank him below Sproul. Like I said, I think Ouellet just felt a lot of pressure and is a little out of his element this year. Don't get me wrong, if he rounds out his game and cuts down on the stupid penalties (not the physicality) I think he could be a promising player.
I understand what you mean by ranking based on potential, but I think guys who have that "top 6" feel are tough to judge. I mean, I thought Evan McGrath was a sure thing seven years ago, but offensive prospects can really let you down. That's why I ranked Pare where I did... he's spent 4 years down in GR and is offense or bust, and it seems like bust as far as his future with the Wings goes.
I see the value in guys like Andersson, Aubry, Callahan, etc. but I also know they have to put some numbers up to be a Red Wing. Cayer or Callahan's future as a 4th liner on this team is really dependent on the numbers they can put up/their defensive strengths. The Red Wings could have an enforcer, but he'd have to be a Brandon Prust type guy. Putting up 30ish point, playing strong defense and dropping the gloves. I really hope either Cayer or Callahan is that guy, but we'll see.
Either way, leaving letter grades out of ranking makes things a lot more clear to me.
